


Express

by 3tequilafloor



Series: In Bed [6]
Category: Free!
Genre: Gen, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, Siblings, Sick Character, Sickfic, Teenage Drama, Travel, Vomiting, World Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 14:56:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7762315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/3tequilafloor/pseuds/3tequilafloor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><br/>In response to a request that I write more Matsuoka siblings, and from the prompts at <a href="http://sickdaysofficial.tumblr.com/post/146177494224/sick-days-prompts">Sick Days</a> on Tumblr. <b><i>July 30: Public illness</i></b></p>
            </blockquote>





	Express

Traveling between Australia and Japan isn’t terrible, but it’s always a shock to the system. While the flight takes about twelve and a half hours including the plane change, the distance between the two countries is something greater than what can be measured in flight times.

It’s always like a different world when Rin steps off of the plane to the one he left behind when he got on. It feels that way every single time, including what he supposes will probably be the last time.

  
He’s dehydrated and a little nauseous as he makes his way to the gate, but that’s typical. Over twelve hours of reconditioned cabin air at 800 kilometers per hour probably makes most people a little queasy, even without the truly impressive turbulence they’d experienced on this flight.

Rin doesn’t ask, even though now that he’s back in Japan it’ll be easier to understand anyone who replies. Judging by the fact some of the other passengers are still trembling too he’s not the only one who feels like a seltzer bottle that’s been dropped.

The tickle in his throat is mildly alarming, as well. In addition to the usual shock to the system of going from winter to summer (or autumn to spring, or the other way around,) on these trips, there’s always the possibility of catching something vile from someone else he’s sharing all of the recycled air with. It’s the last thing he wants right before starting a new school again.

He coughs experimentally and grimaces at the way his head pounds along with the discomfort of his throat. Great. That’s just great. His stomach flips over threateningly when he makes it through the doors to the next terminal and steps on the escalator. At the top, the scents of warm dough and greasy toppings from Pizza La-Express make his mouth fill with sour saliva.

The water fountains are right there, but he doesn’t dare to stop and take a drink until his body adjusts to the changes in atmospheric pressure and everything else. Besides, Gou is waiting for him like he explicitly asked her not to do. He’ll just have to make it a little farther.

Getting through passport restrictions is a little bit of a hike from the arrivals gate on this end, but he makes it through to the central transit lobby and spots a tiny frame with a big swishy ponytail that he’d know anywhere.

Gou spots him at about the same time, and gives him an excited wave. Rin’s stomach flips over again just then, so he returns the wave with more of a grimace than anything else, but it doesn’t deter his sister at all. She’s like an ox disguised as a girl sometimes. “Welcome home! How was your flight?”

If she’s standing here she obviously knows that they had a diversion and two weather delays. Rin fixes her with an unimpressed look. He’s fine with humoring polite conversation most days but right now he’s travel weary, about to be body-slammed by intense jet lag, getting ready to readjust to a life he’d left behind years ago, and honestly a little woozier than he cares to admit. “Long and bumpy, but it got me here.”

The slightly disappointed sigh Gou responds with is just enough of a nudge to make him feel guilty about snapping at her first thing, so he glances away and tries to roll some of the tension out of his shoulders.

  
“Left my stuff with the porter, so we can go directly to the train.” He mumbles, thinking of the soft, warm bed that’ll be waiting for him in about four hours when they finally get back to their parent’s place.

Going from the stifling heat of early autumn to the crisp chill of early spring is already making his muscles tense and his arms break out in goose flesh. He’ll be happy to curl up and sleep all night before he has to try and properly interact with anyone else.

  
The thought of food doesn’t sit well either, and Rin slumps over a little to try and ease away an ominous stomach cramp. Gou’s eyes narrow just a little as she stares up at him, and he curses inwardly. She’s smart, his little sister. She pays attention, too. It’s always gotten him into worlds of trouble. “How bumpy was it?”

The bitter tang in the back of his throat makes him crinkle his nose in distaste in spite of his efforts to keep it together, and Rin gives up on trying to play it off. He tries to stifle a soft burp into his fist, but it’s the rolling sort that picks up as it goes on. By the time it ends a few seconds later it’s loud enough to echo off of the cavernous walls in their corridor.

He feels his face flush bright red as a few heads turn in their direction. Gou’s eyes widen in genuine surprise. He doesn’t usually get quite this travel sick. “Bumpy.” Rin confirms, taking up the punchline as a last ditch effort at distracting his sister. He starts towards the stairs without waiting for her to join him. The trains are just over there. They’ll take them home. If he can make it to somewhere that holds still for a while he’s sure he’ll be fine.

There’s a little frown on Gou’s face as they wait for the train to arrive, but at least she’s stopped trying to chat with him. At this time of evening they can catch the last pass of the JR line going their way, which should bring them in just in time to say hellos and good nights. Honestly, Gou will be lucky if he doesn’t pass out on the train. They’re all the way at the end of the line anyway, so he can’t oversleep his stop. He told her not to come wait on him.

Rin doesn’t sit in the waiting area. He’s been sitting for way too long already, and the burbling feeling in his stomach makes him too anxious to want to be that close to other people. Instead he slumps against a wall and tries not to be too obvious about cradling his stomach.

Gou slips away quietly and returns with some water for him, which Rin accepts with a tired grunt that’s honestly meant to be gratitude even if it falls pretty far short. Thankfully, the train comes quickly. They board and take their seats and settle in for the last long leg of the journey.

His sister yawns quietly beside him, probably feeling a little exhausted herself after all of the train rides and waiting around she’s had to do all day. She really shouldn’t have come. She looks a little worried as she reaches up to brush his fringe back from his face for him, making him blink down at her in surprise. Rin hadn’t even realized he was sweating into it.

As the train pulls out of the station, the choppy movement before it picks up speed makes Rin close his eyes and groan to himself. He curls up a little in his seat, which is childish but can’t be helped. His stomach just won’t settle. It’s really getting to be uncomfortable. He swallows down hard on a sudden feeling of sickness, then bolts up again in alarm.

He doesn’t just feel queasy anymore. He’s going to actually be sick. Rin curses and clamps a hand over his mouth, eyes darting around wildly. Which way is the toilet? He hadn’t even paid attention when they passed it, thinking it was no big deal. Suddenly it’s a huge deal. A few nearby passengers murmur to themselves or eye him warily, and he can’t even blame them. They’re right. He’s about to cause a really unfortunate disturbance.

Rin hiccups sickly into his hand and nudges Gou, because she really needs to get up out of his way. The nudge makes Gou glance up, and then she gasps in surprised dismay. At least it spurs her into action, though. She hops up and grabs Rin by the elbow of the arm he still has wrapped around his stomach, tugging him to his feet.

His eyes slip closed as he tries to concentrate on breathing slowly, but they spring open again as his stomach gives a violent heave. The tea and pastry Rin picked up between flights spill out through his fingers, dribble down his shirt front, and drip onto the floor of the train carriage.

Gou gasps and leaps out of his way, but Rin stubbornly keeps his hand clamped over his mouth. He lurches unsteadily onward, because he can’t really save face at this point but he can at least make it to the toilet before he really lets loose with it. If he has to be the guy throwing up in the trains, can’t he at least not be the guy throwing up in the passenger seats right at the beginning of a long trip?

A quick thinking steward rushes in to guide Rin, which is one of the most humiliating things that’s ever happened to him in his lifetime, but also really appreciated. When the guy settles him in front of the toilet he even stands in the corridor between the carriages, because as Rin quickly realizes, the toilet cubicle is too small to accommodate a kneeling man with the door closed.

Not one, but two cars full of people have full view of Rin as he leans over and spits up the rest of his tea. The worst part of it is that it’s far from over. There are at least two more meals and a couple of snacks still rolling around inside of him.

  
Even when Gou finally gathers her wits and quietly argues her way around the steward standing guard with assurances that she’s his sister and he needs her (he doesn’t,) Rin doesn’t feel any better. He gives a strangled gag and chokes up something disgustingly lumpy. Gou makes a disgusted sound herself, but she also stops to dab away the hot tears of shame from the corners of his eyes before she starts to wipe off the hand he vomited on earlier.

For a long, miserable while Rin pukes and Gou spot cleans his face, his clothes, and -ugh- some of his hair for him. The tears get worse instead of better, and he’s not even sure that it’s all about the shame of throwing up on the train. He’s angry, defeated, defensive, displaced.

Everything about this horrible trip feels harsh and abrasive, because he knows that he doesn’t belong here anymore either. When he gets back to his parents place, he won’t belong there either. Nor his grandmother’s, nor even in Australia.

  
Somehow it’s all a little too much, coupled with having his face in a train toilet, some poor car attendant standing guard over him, his baby sister trying to sop up his tears and the sick saliva running down his chin at the same time… it’s too much. Rin gurgles pathetically and sobs quietly between heaves.

Gou pats his back, shushing him gently, and he can’t even stay angry at her for it like he wants to. All he can do is lean forward, close his eyes, and brace himself for the next painful spasm of his insides to bring up another bitter mouthful of one more stupid thing he just can’t manage to hold onto.


End file.
